Coal feeder for gas producers and the like



E. F. MILLER ET AL COAL FEEDER FOR GAS PRODUCERS AND THE LIKE Jan. 27,1925.

- Filed July- 25, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. F. MILLER ET AL COAL FEEDERFOR GAS PRODUCERS AND THE LIKE Filed July 25, 1919 2 Sheets -Sheet 2Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN F. MILLER, OF INTERCI-Ellitlil'lVILLE NEW JERSEY, AND WILLIAMSTEELL JACK- SON, OF BALA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO UNITED STATES CAST IRON PIPE & FOUNDRY COIVLPANY, OFBURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Application filed July 25, 1919.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN F. MILLER and lViLLIAM STEELL JAcKsoN,citizens of the United States, residing at Merchant-ville,

Camden County, New Jersey, and Bala,

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, respectively, have invented jointly acertain new and useful Coal Feeder for Gas Producers and the like, ofwhich the following is a 10 specification.

Our invention relates to feeders for gas producers, kilns, furnaces andthe like in which a charge of material, usually fuel and therefore hereso considered, is inserted at the same time that the top of the produceror the like is sealed against escape of gas.

The purpose of our invention is to prevent stoppage of flow of fuel tobe fed by permitting a. constant flow of fuel less than the amountrequired and to intermittently in crease the fuel flow to provide thedesired quantity for the fuel feed.

A further purpose is to provide for a preferably uniform rate ofrotation of a sealing spider and to vary the extent of feed by theextent to which a fuel-submerged cut off is lowered.

A further purpose is to water-cool a feeding rotor which is adapted toturn upon a horizontal aXis.

A further purpose is to supply fuel to a gas producer continuously,dropping it from above over a dam and into a rotor, controlling the rateof feed by the height of a dam or breaker in the path of fuel flow.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

lVe have preferred to illustrate our invention by but one general form,selecting therefor a form which is practical, eflicient and thoroughlyreliable and which at the same time well illustrates the principles ofour invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section thru the center of a spiderfeed showing our invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section correspond ing to Figure 1 except for adifference in position of the rotor vanes and the dam and the watercooling of the vanes.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section,

Serial No. 313,229.

Figure 3 is a broken longitudinal section of the modification seen inFigure 1, having the vanes hollow and water-cooled.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 ure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation right-side-left to Figure 1 showing theoperating parts seen therein in the position of Figure 1.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

In feeding fuel thru various automatic forms of compartmentfeeders ofwhatever type considerable trouble has been experienced in keeping thefuel moving. Where but small quantity of fuel lies back of the feed andis replenished frequently by hand,

of Figdepending upon the feeding mechanism for T the regularity andcontrol of the quantity of fuel fed there is little trouble; but Whereany considerable fuel supply is furnished and attempt is made to obtainfull benefit of the automatic character of the feed, the fuel notinfrequently clogs or stops and must be loosened by a bar or otherimplement.

lVe have discovered that this difiiculty can be relieved by permitting acontinuous flow of fuel, which has a tendency to keep the fuel movingbut which is not sufiicient to furnish the entire quantity of fuelintended to be fed, and intermittently increasing the flow for a shorttime only for the double purpose of making up the difference in quantityof fuel fed and starting the fuel in case of stoppage of the regularflow provided for. Either the maintained flow or this special flow,preferably the latter, should be made adjustable to suit differing needsof the gas producer. The functions sought can best be accomplished by adam or breaker over which the fuel is intended normally to flow andwhich is lowered for a short time at intervals to increase the quantityof fuel fed in proportion to the needs of the producer. We much preferto have the fuel flow continuously because the extent of additionalopening as well as the time during which there is additional opening maythus both be reduced. The stream of fuel and dam are desirably somewhatshorter axially of flu feed rotor than the length of the rotorcompartment or compartments and may be made much shorter.

Supplying a rotor adapted to receive the maximum quantity of :fuelrequired we maintain constant speed "of rotation of the feed mg andsealing rotor and vary the quantity feed.

For the purpose of securing greater compactness and reducing the spacerequired for the feeder and-connections wev supply the fuel to the rotorat the top, controlling the extent of flow by a dam or breaker whosemaximum projection is desirably constant and which is dropped-tovaryingpositions d ep'ending upon theextent of f sudden flow which is tobe'permitted. Thisgprinciple is applied to a-rotor preferably turningupon a horizontalaxis and which is most desirably "of spider form.

"We believe it to be new "also to directly water-cool arotoroperatingabout a horizontalaxisyalso to use it'wit-h water-cooledIll cooperating sealing surfaces so that the fuel in such a rotoris'supportedat all times upon water-cooled surfaces.

Though we have shown drawings disclosing the bestform, of our inventionknown to-us, complyingith" the statute, these are for purposesnf-illustration only and will now be described;

Thebase of the frame'llis adaptedto rest upon the top of any gasproducer, kiln, furnace or other such structure and-carries its 'arcuateside-sealing'membcrs 13 and 1% to cooperate with a rotor 15.

The arcuate construction is indicated as open. at the ends, at whichhowever, thematerial of the frame is extended circumferentially to formannular sealsfor'the-ends of thegspider. or drum throughout the completecircumference. They alsoformbearings 16 tor the support'of the spider ordrum'ends 17"17';.

A simple formof centering. forithe spider or drum to preventlongitudinal displacement thereof is shown in the grooves 18, 18 and thepins 19 preferably screwed to, place and best seen in Figure 2. i

The water supply for the 'arcuate water chambers 20, 20' may befurnished thru inlet and outlet pipes indicated at 21, 22.

The bearing of the drum heads is .ad-

1 'vantageous in simplifying the construction,

reducing the parts to be finished and utilizing the. engagementpreviously sought at the ends for sealing purposes as a means of supportfor the spider or drum.

. The spider or .drum may be drivenby a ratchet wheel 23 -andconnections as is well known in the art, and this wheel may be mountedupon the head 17. In the illustration the body of the rotor is securedto the heads by a shaft 24.

he rotor 15 or 15 is preferably watercooled and this may be accomplishedly forming water spaces 25-within the blades Water to these 26 thercofand supplying) y means of sealthruhollow shaft ends 27 l .ingconnections 28 without interfering with fed by vane-tron 1n the;.extentof fillingeof lhe compartment or compartment-sof the upontheihubs of therotor heads.

As thus-indicated not only thescaling surfaces ofthe-casing-butthe-surfaces of the rotor itself are water-cooled, completely protectingagainstexcesshe temperature of the fuel and the consequent stoppage fromcok- The advantages which we thus secure are independent of thecharacter ofsealbetwecn the. vanes of-the spider orthe surface of thedrum, asthe case I may be, and the adjacent casing. lV'e showslots 29which have a sealing-functionbecause of the accumulation of-dust anddirt therein. However,-there is not-the same need of any of theseconstruct-ions as in other rotary-feeders because of the reduction inexpansion of the parts effected by water-cooling, maintaining thespideror drunrin substantially its initial diameter and length.

Whether intermittent rotation of the spider-ordrum bethe same at alltimes as planned. or be capable of variation as lS permissible-or therotation be continuous (uniform or variable), it is dcsirableitokeep thefuel moving toward the compartments of the spider. To accomplish this\ve use a sloping inlet 30, whose bottom 31 is steeper than'the angleofrepose of the fuel u )on such a surface. The fuel column will ow in itsupper surface 9 at a slightly steeper angle than the 'angle of repose towhich it would come when flow is stopped. This upper surface ismaintained free by forming theupper wall 32 of the channel within whichitflow's higher at the section in question as at thanthe normal uppersurface of the flowing column.

This construction provides a gravity fuel supply inlet in which theupper surface of theffuel is constantly free and in which the amount ofslope of this free upper surface will vary slightly according to whetherthe fuel: is" flowing rapidly or slowly or, as is permissible but notpreferred, stopped.

Access to the inlet is provided by a cover 34, shown as hinged at 35 inan ear secured to the inlet or adjoining structure. In, order to greatlyreduce the flow of fuel during most of the movement of the spider, weprovide a movable dam or breaker 36, shorter thanthc length of the rotorso that, with a reasonable size of spider, the flow during the dippingof the dam will not unduly fill the compartment of the spider, and.supported in arms 37 to swine about shaft 38. It has no crushingfunction but serves only to block the passageway to the extent that itis raised above the plane of surface 31. The dam drops into space 39when it is dipped or depressed.

We lift the dam or breaker from below to the extent desired and find itmost convenient to lift it by a cam and lever connection, rocking theshaft 38 by a lever d0 adjustable angularly about shaft 38 by a setscrew 40' and having a series of points of openings 4L1, to any one ofwhich an operating arm or red 42 may be connected, affording differentpossible extents of throw. The rod 42 carries a roller 43 for engagementwith a suitable cam face 44 upon cam 45. The rod is guided by a yoke 46which is secured to a supporting strap 47 by bolt 48. hen the bolt isloosened the yoke can be turned about the bolt as an axis so as toaccomn'iodate different directions in which the bar must be placed whenits upper end coincideswith different openings 41. The strap is securedto the frame of the feed at points on oppositesides of the rod.

As the openings lie in a curved line about the guide 46, the highestpoint of dam or barrier travel will not be affected by connection of therod with the arm 40 at different leverages, but will remain fixed untilreset.

The cam is shaped and timed to suit the size of the compartments and maybe shifted or replaced readily.

In the illustration the cam is provided with four like cam surfaces inagreement with the four compartments 49 of the spider, and withintervening peripheral portions of uniform height which are here calleddwells 50 and which corresponds to the intended barrier height. I

The adjustment of the yoke guide accommodates different points ofattachment of the rod along the length of lever arm 40 withoutebjec-tionably affecting the cooperation of the roller with the cam.

In the case of a drum, the cam will carry but a single cam surface and amuch longer uninterrupted dwell.

In this case also the normal height of the barrier will more nearlycut-off the entire flow of fuel and relatively a greater percent age ofthe total flow should take place during the dip of the dam or barrierthan in the use of a dam with the spider form. It will be evident thatthe same construction with a sufficiently long barrier surface may beadjusted with either form to cut off any percentage or all of the fuelflow in the normal high position of the breaker.

The surface of the dam or breaker is desirably a part of the surface ofa cylinder in close engagement with the lower edge 31 of the surface 31and the space 39 should be open at the lower limit to avoid blocking bydust and dirt. The breaker may be made wide enough (circumferentially)to effec tively close the passage in fully raised position (as at top inFigure l) and can be lifted when the device is not in use and be held inraised position by any suitable fastening, to completely block all fuelflow.

During normal operation it is preferred to have the fuel flow over thetop of the dam moderately, in some such position of the parts as shownin Figure 1, at a rate too low to supply the desired quantity of fuelfor the producer but with the object of keeping part at least of thefuel supply in movement and avoiding stagnation or blocking of the flow.(See dotted intermediate position.) The upper surface of the fuel willlie at an angle approximating its angle of repose as seen at 9, Figure lBy reason of the space between its upper limit and the top of the inletat this point, lifting of the barrier or dam will not crowd the fuelagainst the top and cannot jam.

The fuel which falls over the top of the dam will strike the arc ofmovement of the spider or drum at some such point as 51, falling intothe compartment which is then open.

As soon as the trailing blade of this com partment passes this point,fuel entry is cut off from this pocket and the fuel falls into the nextpocket following avoiding the accidental catching of the fuel betweenthis trailing edge and the sealing edge 52. As the dam is dropped thepoint at which fuel falls into the compartment is moved still farther tothe left in Figure 1.

There will be a continual moderate flow of fuel over the top edge of thedam or breaker into the compartment directly beneath the dam while thedam is up (not usually as high as at top in dotted lines) but of lessextent than the requirement for the furnace even under minimum supply.

When the cam roller l3 is free to drop to the position shown in Figurel, the weight of the moving parts of the dam, deliberately over-weightedif necessary, over comes the frictional resistance of the coal bearingagainst it and the dam drops to a position which may be designed to beas low as shown in Figure 1, or to lie at any intermediate position,allowing a greater rate of flow of fuel into the compartment during theshort time the dam is depressed.

The com iartments of the spider or the capacity of the drum are madelarge enough to hold the maximum flow of fuel past the dam with amaximum depression of the dam for the full estimated length of time,readily accommodating all intermediate rates of fuel feed withoutnecessity for speeding up the spider or drum. though permitting thisadditional means of taking care of inireased fuel flow without unduefilling of the compartments.

The cam is designed in depth and angular extent to provide just the rateand time of additional fuel flow and range of adjustment :(by setxscrew,and changeof .lever arm) desirable to relieve any stagnation which mayhave occurred in .the normal .rate of flow overthedam, and to providethe variations of fuel feed adapted to different producerneeds.Theexternal. form of cam shownis prefenred by us..to acam groove or.other positively double-acting cam, becauseof the simplicity-of thesingle-acting form andin view ofthefact that the weight of the dam.parts. ma y ordinarily .be made sufficient to .cause reliable.downwardmovement .without becoming itself objectionable.

,Having thus .described our. invention, what .we. claim asnew and desireto secure by Letters Patent is .1..A feeding rotoradaptedto turnabout ahorizontal axis and having water-Cooled fuel-supportingrotor vanesmovable with the rotor-and providing fuelscari-ryingpocketssbetweenthemin combination with waternsupply. and exhaust through therotor shaft forthe water.

2..A rotorwfor fuel feeding adapted to rotate about ahorizontal axis andhaving a .water-cooled'rotor surfa e supporting the fuel .invcombination.with a water-cooled sealing. surface cooperating therewith.and water. .supply for'cooling the same.

3. A rotor forfuel feeding adaptedto rotate about a horizontal axis. andhaving a water-cooled rotor surface. supporting the fuel-in combinationwith a water-cooled sealing: surface against which the fuel. restsduringrotation ofthe rotor.

l. A feeding rotor for vgasproducers ,in combination with a gravity fuelinlet hav- .iIi.g-,.the .up-pergssurface of the .fuel. free and meansbeneath. thefree surface for. interrupting theflow to varying. extents,providing a continuousflow.ofdifferent depths.

5.. In a feeder .forgas producers, a feeding-rotor adapted to.turn on. ahorizontal axis .in combination with a gravity fuel inlet providingafree upper surface for the f.i.1el,a.-movable dam for thefuel supplylocated beneath .the free surface and automatic means. for .varyingthe-height of the dam during the rotation of the rotor. 1 .6. Inafeederforgas producers, a feeding rotor adapted to turn on a horizontalaxis in. combination with a gravity fuel in- :let' providing freeuppersurface for the fuel, aniovable dam for thefuel supplylocated.beneatlrthe free surface and automatic. means for varying theheight of the dam during the rotationof: the rotor, timed with respectto movement of the. rotor.

.7, .In a feeder for. gas prodiuers, a feed- .ing rotor. .aclapted..to.turn on a horizontal axis in combination. with an inlet providingsloping gravity fuel supply therefor, a

dam for the supply movable across the fuel column from beneath andshifting mechanism for the dam, timed to the movement of seesaw therotorand varying its height \vitlulifierent rotor positions.

8. In a .gas producer feeder, an automatic sealingfeed incombinationwith an inlet providing slopinggravity fuel supply therefor,a barrier,mov'ablev into and-out .-.of but not completely throughihepath of movement'of the supply to the feed coincidently with the.movement of the feed to vary thesupply .thereto in timing .with thefeed.

9. In a feeding devicefor gasproducers, an automatic sealing feeder. incombination with gravity inlet therefor, providing a free uppersurfacehaving a stream of fuel passing therethrough ,and a barrier.movableinto and out of the path of flow of the fuel roincidently withmovements of the feeder ,to vary the-supply in timing with the feeder.

10. In a feeder for gas producers, a rotor feeder upon a horizontal axisand having an inlet opening, a casing having scaling surfaces therefor,a sloping inlet for furnishing gravity supply of fuel above the feeder,a barrier movable upwardl thru the fuel into the path .of travel of t efuel to.-the rotor and mechanisn'i connected to operate in timedrelation with the rotor and adapted automatically to.lowerthe barrier inpredeterminedrelation to the position of the inlet opening.

11. In a feeder forges producers, a rotor. aicasing there-aboutproviding sealing surfaces thereforand inlet and discharge fuel openingsbetween the sealing sur faces, in combination with a sloping inletproviding a fuel supply for the rotor and. a barrier below the fuelsurface for checking the passage of said fuel supplyto the rotor,occupying different heights below the surface of the .column of fuel atdifferent positions of, the rotor.

'12. In a feeder for gas producers, a feeding-rotor, a casing providingsealing sun faces therefor and having top inlet and discharge passages,in combination with gravity fuel feeding devices above the rotorinletand affording a' free upper surface for the fuel feed, and amovable barrier in said feeding devices having its .top normally belowthe angle of repose of the fuel in the supply column.

13. In a feeder for gas producers, a feed ing rotor having a horizontalaxis, a casing providing sealing surfaces therefor and having top, andbottom inlet and discharge passages, in'combination. with a sloainginlet forfurnishing gravity-fuel supply for the rotor, so constituted asto provide a free upper fuel surface, and. a barrier in the column ofsupply, continuously extending to the bottom thereof and lifting meanstimed with respect to the positions of the rotor to give variant heightsto the barrier.

14. In a feeder for gas producers, a rotor lilo tlli

and a casing providing sealing surfaces therefor and having top andbottom inletand discharge passages, a sloping inlet for furnishinggravity fuel supply for the rotor, so constituted as to provide a freeupper fuel surface, in combination with a barrier in the column ofsupply continuously extending to the bottom thereof and having variantheights at different times, timed with respect to the positions of therotor and at all said heights below the angle of repose of the column ofsupply fuel;

15. In a feeder for gas producers, a rotor and a casing providingsealing surfaces therefor and having top and bottom inlet and dischargepassages, in combination with a sloping inlet providing a column of fuelsupply for the rotor so constituted as to provide a free upper fuelsurface lying at the angle of repose of the material handled, andadapted to flow normally into the rotor at a rate less than the averagefeed thru the rotor.

16. In a feeder for gas producers, a rotor and a casing providingsealing surfaces therefor and having top and bottom inlet and dischargepassages, in combination with a sloping inlet providing a column of fuelsupply for the rotor so constituted as to provide a free upper fuelsurface lying at the angle of repose of the material handled, adapted toflow normally into the rotor at a rate less than the capacity of therotor and means for intermittently increas ing the rate of flow.

17. In a feeder for gas producers, a spider or drum and a casingproviding sealing surfaces therefor and having top and bottom inlet anddischarge passages, in combination with a sloping inlet providing acolumn of fuel supply for the spider or drum having a free upper surfacelying at the angle of repose of the material handled, adapted to flownormally into the spider or drum at a rate less than its capacity, abarrier in the path of movement of the supply extending to the bottomthereof and normally maintained below the sur face of the supply, andmeans for dipping the barrier intermittently to increase the flow' 18.In a feeder for gas producers, a spider or drum and a casing providingsealing surfaces therefor and having top and bottom inlet and dischargepassages, in combination with provisions for a column of fuel supply forthe spider or drum so constituted as to provide a free upper fuelsurface lying at the angle of repose of the column of supply fuel, abarrier in the column normally below its surface and cam actuation forshifting the height of the barrier.

19. In a feeder for gas producers, a sloping inlet for furnishinggravity supply so constituted as to provide a free upper fuel surface, abarrier normally below the surface of said supply, movable from belowinto and out of the line of travel of said supply, a gassealing feed forthe fuel so fed and automatic means, timed with respect to the passageof fuel thru said sealing feed, determining the time and extent ofmovement of said barrier.

20. In a feeder for gas producers and the like, a sloping inlet forfurnishing gravity supply so constituted as to provide a free upper fuelsurface, a barrier movable from below into and out of the line of travelof said supply, a gas-sealing feeder for the fuel so fed, automaticmeans timed with respect to the passage of the fuel thru said sealdetermining the time and extentof movement of said barrier and anadjustment for the maximum height of said barrier.

21. A rotary fuel feeder for gas producers in combination with a fuelinlet hav ing a sloping bottom and providing free upper surface of thefuel flowing therethrough, a movable barrier movable perpendicularly tothe line of fuel flow and automatic means for varying the barrierposition during rotation of the feed.

22. The method of controlling the quantity of fuel fed by gravity for agas producer which consists in damming the bulk of the fuel whilepermitting continued flow of fuel and varying the height of the columndammed intermittently at regular intervals during the feeding operation.

23. The method of controlling the rate of feed thru a sealing gasproducer feeder which consists in retarding it to varying extents andintermittently controlling the supply of said fuel from below across thethickness of the column during the How of fuel to provide continualsupply thereto at successively repeated variant rates.

24. The method of controlling the rate of gravity flow of fuel to asealing feeder o a gas producer which consists in providing a slopingcolumn of fuel having a free upper surface and interrupting flow of fuelfrom the bottom to extents varying with the positions of the feederparts while permitting continued flow of fuel along the upper surface ofthe column.

25. The method of controlling the rate o fuel fed to a gas producerthrough a sealing feed device which consists in providing a constantpath for part of a gravity column of fuel near the surface and passingover a retarding barrier and intermittently increasing and decreasingthe cross section of the path to provide for variation of the flow witha greater depth of column flowing by alterii'ig the position of thebarrier.

26. The method of controlling the rate of fuel fed to a gas producerthru a sealing feedenwliieh' consist'sfin providingn 0011- stant "pathforthe upper part of the ,qravity flow colninn and an intermittentsudden enlarged path for a larger depth of flow'ytimedwi'th reference tothe movements of the sealing feeder.

271 The method of controlling the'quantray of fuel fed to a gas producerhorizontally-rotatable sealing feeder which con- SlStS inove'rfiowingthe'lfuel directly above the compartment of the feeder being supplied,at a point in the rotation of'sa'ul Ieeder' backof the sealing edge toavoid catching and crushing the falling fuel between the rotor andthesealing edge and inc-reasingthe'rate of fiow at the same time thatthe mean path'of flow is shifted farther from the sealing edge.

VVILLI'AM STEELL JACKSON.

